We’re going to try a new format this week for #smbiz chat. Instead of having experts answer questions and discuss small business issues, this week we are going to be doing some real social networking. This week you can join our small business chat on Twitter and promote your small business, product or services. Each person will get 3 to 5 minutes to tell us a little bit about their business ...

Visitor Question: “Where can I get ideas for press releases and press story ideas? Being creative isn’t really my strength and I know it’s important to be creative for things like PR. Any help you can offer would be great!” –Jacqueline in Kansas City Answer: Hi Jacqueline, you are absolutely right about being creative. It’s pretty darn important when it comes to...

Several years ago October was dubbed Women’s Small Business Month as a way to honor and salute all the female-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs. The small business landscape has shifted dramatically over the last few decades, and women-owned and self-employed firms have grown dramatically. Especially for self-employed women, the flexibility to set your own hours and work from home has...

A key buzzword in marketing is “mindshare.” You will often hear marketers refer to this word when speaking of a brand “owning” a piece of real estate within a desired audience’s head or mind. Positioning to obtain this real estate is key, and many marketers spend countless hours trying to move into this real estate. Small business CEOs and entrepreneurs must also pay ...

You’ve decided to go out on your own and start a small business. You’re going to take that leap of faith and do it the right way with lots of marketing that involves your targeted customers. You’ve got great, creative ideas for integrated campaigns involving printed brochures, post cards and mailings, e-mail, landing pages and social media marketing. Your tag line and copy are al...

The majority of small businesses realize the importance of having a solid Web presence that leaves a positive and lasting impression on customers. Many fear, though, that a professionally designed Web site will cost more than what’s in the budget. After all, it’s easy to look around and find lots of companies that have beautiful Web sites that came with a price tag of tens of thousands...